Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy (STS)

Using a STM tip as a nanometer scale contact, STS spectroscopy provides a plot of the current (I) as a function of the tip bias voltage (V) applied to a sample. In order to investigate the electrical properties of the sample surface, IV spectroscopy is measured on the selected sample area after taking a STM image. The spectroscopy data can be used to study the local electronic state of the sample.